Football Headline

Monday January 2, 2012No Debate: Special Teams Play Huge Difference in Gators' Victory

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- There was confusion in the press box and even on the
sidelines.

When Ohio State’s Ben Buchanan had his fourth-quarter punt blocked and returned
for a touchdown by Florida freshman Graham Stewart, officials initially
credited the block to sophomore Solomon Patton, who stormed in from right.
Replays, however, seemed to show that senior Chris Rainey, who beat his man up
the middle, thumped the ball, instead.

No one would disagree the play was huge in Florida’s 24-17 defeat of Ohio State
in the Gator Bowl at EverBank Field, just like there could be no debate that
UF’s special teams were the difference in the Gators wrapping up the 2011
season on a high note.

“Those guys all executed,” special teams coach D.J. Durkin said.

All the way down to when 6-foot-6 sophomore wide receiver Stephen Alli grabbed
the Buckeyes onsides kick attempt with 50 seconds to play to preserve the
victory.

Sophomore wideout Andre Debose, named Most Valuable Player of the game,
returned a second-quarter kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown right after the
Buckeyes scored to tie the things at 7-all and seize the game’s momentum.
Debose took the ball at the 1, headed toward the left sideline, got a grazing
block from Jeff Demps and was never touched on the play.

“I just followed Demps and he kind of led me to the promised land,” Debose
said.

For the sophomore from Sanford, Fla., it was his third career kickoff return
for a touchdown, a school-record, but also the longest play in Gator Bowl
history.

“That meant a lot to me,” he said. “I had an opportunity today to help the team
a lot, so it feels great. There’s no feeling like it.”

Unless, of course, that of the leathern coming off the foot of a kicker and
blocking the punt to help seal the game. That's probably felt pretty good, too.
So much that at least two Gators claimed to have gotten that feeling Monday.

“They were both right there,” Durkin said. “Both those guys have dynamic speed
and when we get in the right matchup, against the right play, they have a
chance to come running free. Both of them did a great job.”

The same could be said about all of Durkin’s units on the day.

“Special teams [were] huge,” UF coach Will Muschamp said. “D.J. Durkin dos the
best job in the country on special teams, [with] week-in, week-out momentum
changers and putting our guys in position to be successful.”

And to argue about who made the play.

All in fun, of course.

“Coach was really pushing us all week and telling us how special teams have
really changed some of the bowl games this year,” Patton said. “They talked
about it and we were determined to do something about in the this game.”